Northwest Suburbs Gain Expo Center Board Seats

January 07, 1990|By David Ibata.

In the spirit of ``no taxation without representation,`` officials from seven Cook and Du Page county suburbs demanded and got a promise from the Schaumburg exposition authority Saturday that they would each get a seat on the agency`s board in return for their financial support.

The Schaumburg Metropolitan Exposition, Auditorium and Office Building Authority made the concession in an attempt to persuade officials of the seven neighboring towns to levy special 2 per cent hotel room taxes.

The proceeds, $1.25 million in the first year of collection, would go toward paying off $34 million in bonds for a proposed Schaumburg convention center.

The change in the makeup of the convention authority would require action by the state legislature.

Schaumburg, which currently has the sole power to place candidates on the board, would still dominate the body.

That village would provide the most financial support to the convention hall, and votes are to be weighted according to the monetary contribution made by each community.

The expo authority has its work cut out to meet a Feb. 12 deadline set by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs for rounding up financial backing from communities other than Schaumburg for its $74 million Illinois International Convention Center.

Without this backing, the authority may be forced to forfeit a $20 million state grant to start construction this spring.

The center is planned for a site north of Golf Road and west of Interstate Highway 290.

Convention center backers predict it will generate nearly $70 million in spending by convention delegates and $9 million in new tax revenues for local government each year.